GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators got a round of flu shots Sunday, the latest precaution for a team fighting to stave off a major problem.
Running back Jeff Demps, tight end Aaron Hernandez and defensive end Jermaine Cunningham were isolated last week because of flulike symptoms. Coach Urban Meyer said receivers coach Billy Gonzales was sent home Monday because he was feeling ill and had a fever.
No player has had a confirmed case of swine flu, but Meyer did say he was concerned the virus could ravage his team.
“It is a panic level of proportion I’ve never seen before,” Meyer said Sunday, a day after his team’s 23-13 victory over Tennessee. “You hear about, I think, Wisconsin had 40 players. Ole Miss had 20 players. My wife, with her great insight, said, ’Do you realize the swine flu and everything is hitting the Florida campus last week.’ My gosh.”
Meyer said team doctors and trainers were doing everything they could to prevent an outbreak. They have hand sanitizer and prevention checklists all around the training facility, and are telling players to stay hydrated and monitor their weight regularly.
“We’re trying the best we can, but it’s real,” Meyer said. “We go to the extremes. They get a separate dorm room for them. They get a separate hotel room for them. They put them right on whatever the flu stuff is. Our guys, our team doctors, they’re on it as fast as you can get on it.”
The regular flu shots were the latest course of action. They came about a week after one school official predicted that as many as 40 percent of students could catch swine flu.
“We knew it was hitting Gainesville,” senior receiver David Nelson said Sunday. “Not just the football team, but throughout the campus and throughout the community. We knew it was a problem. Everywhere you turn, they’re always telling you to wash your hand, take showers and all this different stuff.
“We knew there was something going on and there was a few players getting sick, but we didn’t know the extent of how many people on our team were sick from it.”
So far, only three.
Demps, Cunningham and Hernandez all played against Tennessee on Saturday, but none of them seemed up to par.
Demps, who had a 101-degree temperature, ran four times for 31 yards and a touchdown. Hernandez caught four passes for 26 yards. And Cunningham finished with one tackle.
“They were beat up pretty good,” Meyer said.
Meyer said there could more players isolated this week as the Gators prepare to play at Kentucky. Meyer was most concerned with Demps, the team’s starting running back, because he’s early in the course of symptoms. Hernandez and Cunningham were getting over theirs, Meyer said.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Softball: Tennessee 2, Georgia 1
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Comments » 33
JSOLOMON31 writes:
What a joke. They're just looking for any excuse they can as to why they didn't beat us by 50.
TommyJack writes:
No tiddy-baby like Urbee. wah, wah, wah.
Any fool knows the flu should have steered its way around Gainesburg. It ain't right.
jimr07 writes:
In looking back at the game, Meyer said Sunday he probably should have opened up the defending national champs' offense. But he said there was no reason to because of the Vols' conservative approach to their own offense
how about this bull carp. or was it the flu. the first thing you have to do to be a winner is to know how to do it gracefully.
jimr07 writes:
"When I saw them start handing the ball off, I didn't feel like they were going after the win," Meyer said. "They wanted to shorten the game. I think that was the plan. There are 10 minutes to go and they're not in a no-huddle. It's 23-6 and no urgency [on Tennessee's part].
more b.s.
abnermc writes:
We all know why "they" didn't play up to par.lol
MANVOL writes:
ya the flu was called EB14 not H1N1...
VolGraduate writes:
I didn't see anything moral or immoral on Saturday. I just saw progress from the vols inspite of the passing game.
Looking forward to more progress
TommyJack writes:
wah wah wah
And BTW, where is the indignation from the press following Urbee taking a shot at us for "not trying to win the game"? Should get a reprimand from Slive. wah wah wah.
smokeyvol1 writes:
I found this to be a interesting read! http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/column...
smokeyvol1 writes:
If he was so concerned about a major outbreak of the flu why did all three of his players with the flu PLAY! Needing to humiliate the lowly Vols was much more important than any of his players health?
bosscat writes:
The "not trying to win the game" comment should get a reprimand from Silve. Read Silve's reprimand to Kiffin and warning to all of SEC coaches about derogatory comments made by one coach directed at another. Wasn't "won't be tolerated" mentioned more than once? What are the odds that nothing will be said by Silve or the national media about it? If I were Kiffin, I would take his comment, blow it up about 500% and put it on a bulletin board. By the way, IMO, the game was 2-3 plays away from being a W for the Vols--the one that stands out is Tebow making that first down on 3rd and 4 instead of being tackled for a loss (missed by inches) and forcing a punt; instead, the drive resulted in Florida's only TD. Hey, I know all about "If's and but's", but any football game that comes down to a couple of plays is anybody's game to win or lose.
jimr07 writes:
sorry, when a team comes out from the half time and runs a reverse on the kick off, that tells me they are there to win the game.
smokeyvol1 writes:
WD,you just hit the nail square on the head with that comment! I don't no what your occupation is but you missed your calling. You really should be sports editor for KNS!
jimr07 writes:
you have that right. Kiffin would be the punch line of every joke on television. slime is going to protect florida no matter what. there is a double standard in the commissioners office.
TommyJack writes:
What's that? Only got about half of that post.
kman29 writes:
Sorry if you believe a comment like that is offending, but from where I was sitting and every Vol fan who sat around me when the game was down to 6 minutes left, not one Vol or Gator fan thought Tennessee was trying to win. They ran the ball and then huddled. Now I understand the stance of "well we do not have a passing game and running was our best option to score." Ok! Well I would buy that theory if after every run there was a hurry up to the line to run another play, but there was not, they huddled and drained the play clock down to at least 5 seconds before snapping the ball. I certainly know the Vol fans I sat around were pretty ticked. In here you all act like it was some great strategy. lol!
As for the "2 or 3 plays away from being a win for the Vols". What would those 2 or 3 have been? IF UT could have returned 2 or 3 turnovers back for TDs? Fact is, nobody in the stadium ever felt as if UF was going to lose, including the UT fans and as good as Tennessee's defense is and they are, Florida's possessions against them consisted of...
1st Half:
1st drive: Field Goal
2nd drive: Touch down
3rd drive: INT
4th drive: Field Goal
2nd half:
1st drive: Field Goal
2nd Drive: Touch Down
3rd Drive: Fumble at UT 2
4th drive: Punt
5th drive: run out the clock.
Tennessee only forced UF to punt 1 time. and was a 2 yard line fumble away from going up 30-6. If Fulmer was still coach, you all would murder him for this result, when in fact the difference between this year and last year with UF against UT was really a Brandon James punt return for a TD...(7 points). But obviously Tennessee has become the new Vanderbilt. Celebrate 10 point losses all night long. lol! So sad!
CrankE writes:
Everyone knows, you can't spell flu without UF!
CrankE writes:
Perhaps UF should limit all that mouth to mouth contact between the players.
CrankE writes:
Excuses 45
Gators 23
Tennessee 13
Will someone please tell Urban Meyer that the game has already been decided? There's no recount, no hanging chads, no butterfly ballots. It's over. On second thought, let him continue looking in his rear-view mirror to reverse perception of UF's win. I'd be more concerned with what's in the windshield, but that's just me....
CrankE writes:
Through the press and chat boards, the Gatrolls are trying to whine their way to a blowout win that could not be achieved on the field of play.
Music...sweet music...
jimr07 writes:
the fact is that Teblow did fumble. if if if, blah, blah, blah.
the10sevol writes:
roflmao...local nbc affiliate wesh/orlando just ran a teaser for their "breaking" story on the swine flu excuse. and showed 2 plays: berry-tebow and jackson-james.
ummm, that's not flu symptoms you're feeling...
GBO
TommyJack writes:
wah wah wah It's public health issue.
the10sevol writes:
"when in fact the difference between this year and last year with UF against UT was really a Brandon James punt return for a TD...(7 points). "
whoa! not what you and the other gators were saying fot he last 12 months. oh, forgot, you have the flu.
you, like z (and urbie), don't understand the "big picture". i posted about it on another thread, i'm sure you can find it since you're on here 24/7. go find it, it's about our appreciation for urbie bringing all those recruits to your stadium to meet our coaches.
GBO
the10sevol writes:
post of the century.
GBO
the10sevol writes:
YES.
my caps lock does work, i just use it very selectively.
GBO
the10sevol writes:
might want to check the current recruiting rankings. our coaches have not only met them, they've been in their living rooms, and now they're in their heads (and yours). see ya on nsd in february. oh, and we might pick up a blue chip or two after nsd. unless we get the flu.
GBO
RebelVol writes:
Yall notice that the media heard NOTHING about the flu the week before the game. Seems really convenient to mention it now. Doesn't it Urban? Demps looked really sick on that run in which he blew through our D-line and secondary for a touchdown.
the10sevol writes:
"I agree, I hope Demps didnt cough on Berry and I dont mean that in a bad way."
-gb65
me,too.
so if slive is gonna flex his muscles (still can't believe i typed that) on comments made at a booster rally, does he now question why a coach with knowledge of flu symptoms allows those pleyers to play?
not a good week to be a ky wildcat. but then, when is it?
GBO
CHS52VOL writes:
I'm with you, Witch Doctor. Probably Tebow did get a flu shot. Everyone else got testosterone, They need it after the job our Vols did on them. No points allowed in the 4th quarter for three straight games! Go Big Orange!
the10sevol writes:
witchie -
i've been a little aggressive with the lopers today, and i promise i'll do better as soon as they stop annoying me (fill in your own retort here).
channing crowder gets to meet peyton manning tonight. has all his talk had any impact on the vegas lines? uf fans may be thinking about "double-or-nothing". scary.
dang, now rob-e will show up. my bad.
GBO
the10sevol writes:
urbie lied to us?
GBO
CrankE writes:
It's also rare to hear winners whining. But hey, whatever puts Urban in your Teebows.
Can't spell flu without UF.
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